


An Equivalent Exchange

by nannersmelo



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alchemist Tony Stark, Alternate Universe - Medieval, BAMF Steve Rogers, Did I mention pining, M/M, Mutual Pining, Not Canon Compliant, Slow Burn, This shit will go places, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, alchemy au, since my imagination is a clusterfuck, there will be a LOT of pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-27
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2020-10-29 02:36:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20789198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nannersmelo/pseuds/nannersmelo
Summary: Steve Rogers is tasked with going up against the treacherous alliance of Tiberius Stone and Obadiah Stane in order to recover something very valuable - and very powerful - from their grasp, but he could never have expected that the guardian of said item would turn out to be someone so absolutely brilliant and infuriatingly beautiful as the presumed dead heir to the Stark Clan, Tony Stark.Little does he know, however, that the secrets Tony keeps within go far beyond the thing he claims to guard, and that Steve's life is about to change in a way he never once thought possible.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> *laughs nervously* I promised myself I would not upload a multi-chap before finishing it but DAMMIT I can't fecking hold myself back, sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
> 
> Anywayssss, hey guise. This is something I brainstormed with a friend some days ago, and it just kept going and going and going, and turned out into a big idea that we got REALLY hooked up on, so I hope y'all feel the same way. I do request patience, however, since my schedule is a bit erratic due work and adult responsibilities *yikes* and I struggle to have time, but I'll try to update whenever I can, since this story is really exciting to me right now.
> 
> I'll also try to study more the matter of Alchemy, since it always fascinated me and I wanted to write something about it, heh.
> 
> Regardless, I hope y'all enjoy what I have in store for this fic. Will be a bit of a ride, with some cliches nobody can resist, and lots of pining because what are these two idiots... if not pining idiots oblivious of each other's feelings? Ain't stevetony if that doesn't happen ldkakeklamlkg
> 
> Hope you like it!
> 
> PS: Pardon possible mistakes. English is not my birth language and my friend beta-ed for me, but we might have left something slip. Heeeeeeeeh.
> 
> @shcrlockhouse luh u btw. Thanks for all the support, you're amazing <3

The night was cold in a way that was uncommon for those lands, mainly during the summer. The evening sky was mostly covered by dark clouds that lazily glided as the wind moved them, and the few rays of moonlight that managed to seep through the cracks were barely enough to provide any illumination, sending the realm into a bone chilling darkness that would discourage anyone to wander around during the late hours of the day - lest the person wanted to be ambushed by one of the countless dangers which hid behind the blankets of darkness.

Steven Rogers, however, was not one to be easily intimidated.

Blue eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he gazed upon the horizon, taking notice of the lights of a kingdom which couldn’t be more than an hour away. The sight, however, caused him to frown. Of all the lands he had visited before to answer the call of a distressed king, this was by far, the most unsettling of them all. The only well lit part of the kingdom just happened to be the castle situated in the center of it while the houses surrounding it remained drowned in the darkness, and that didn’t sit well with Steve.

A low growl echoes from beneath him, which had him caressing the fur on the head of his mount in order to calm it, “Easy, buddy.”

The Dire Wolf released an unhappy huff and hit one of his humongous paws against the floor, making a show of displeasure that Steve didn’t have any trouble understanding as he continued to scratch behind the wolf’s ears, “Yeah, I don’t like it either.”

“Steve,” Bucky’s voice called his attention as the man steered his own mount towards him, which happened to be a dark grey wolf with paws and muzzle as black as the night, “so you noticed too?”

“Yeah. I know King Hammer doesn’t have one of the best of reputations out there, but I didn’t think it was  _ this  _ bad.”

Bucky frowned and ground his jaw as he stared in the same direction as Steve, “His subjects seem drowned in the darkness.”

“Which can be dangerous. We know the amount of creatures that lurk in the dark during the night, mainly during cold nights such as this one,” Steve said worriedly, patting his wolf’s side softly and getting it to start walking. Bucky followed him, as did the rest of their pack, “I wonder what he wants with us.”

“Something fishy, I ain’t got a doubt,” Bucky scowled, “Hammer is the kind of guy who is rotten to the core. I wouldn’t doubt he called upon us to do some mercenary work for him.”

“We are not mercenaries, so it better not be the case.”

“I know we ain’t Stevie, but that guy has no good sense. We can’t expect good things from him.”

“I suppose,” Steve’s eyes hardened as he held tighter on his wolf’s golden fur, “doesn’t mean I have to like it.” He looked back at the others, and shouted, “Let’s move!”

All men behind him chorused an agreement, and once Steve’s golden mount howled and sprinted forward, the other wolves followed suit.

─ ☽⍟☾ ─

“Ah, the mighty Commandos! Aren’t you guys a sight for sore eyes!” King Hammer’s high pitched voice echoed through the walls of the hall as soon as Steve and Bucky crossed the magnanimous arch which led to the king’s throne room, “I was just now wondering when you would hear my pleas!”

Steve set his azure eyes on the king, who was draped in seemingly the finest silk in the realm, of overly vibrant colors and visibly golden seams. Steve frowned; forehead creasing as he remembered the state King Hammer’s subjects found themselves in - forgotten midst poverty and hunger, and seeming absurdly  _ terrified  _ of Steve’s men as they went through the silent city so they could reach the intimidating gates of the castle, which - differently from the cities surrounding it - was  _ oozing  _ with luxury and avarice. His jaw tensioned and he did his best to school his features, just so things wouldn’t go wrong before they even set foot properly inside the throne room.

He knew Bucky was eyeing him discreetly, and Steve could almost hear his friend chastising him inside his head.  _ Hold your tongue, Stevie. You can’t go picking a fight with every king that rubs you off the wrong way. _

Of course Steve knew that. They had a reputation to uphold, a code which they followed religiously. Doing right by others once they were called upon, and nothing else.

But again, doesn’t mean he has to like it, and as the tiny man hopped off his throne - still yammering on about how much fear the presence of the ‘Mighty Commandos’ in his lands will supposedly inflict upon his enemies - with his overly large cape floating behind him almost dramatically, it was clear that Hammer’s reputation preceded him, and Steve decided that he  _ definitely  _ didn’t like this guy.

His wolf clearly shared the sentiment, given the low warning growl that rumbled through its throat as the king stepped a bit too close to comfort towards Steve.

“Oh my!” The tiny man jumped in place, narrowing his eyes at Steve’s companion and seeming rather annoyed, “When the stories spoke about you and your men riding on top of horse sized wolves, I thought they were nothing but exaggeration.”

“Hardly, your highness, given our group’s given name,” Bucky quipped, making Hammer’s annoyed look go from the wolf towards him. Bucky’s shit-eating grin made clear the king’s scrutiny meant little to nothing to him, however.

“I suppose,” Hammer grumbled, looking back at Steve now, “where are the rest of your troops, Captain?”

“Outside, tending to the rest of the pack.” One of his hands came to rest against his companion’s furry neck, earning a pleased rumble from the wolf, “They are very loyal and hardly allow any of us to go anywhere by ourselves, so I found it would be rather inconvenient for your Highness if all of the others followed us inside.”

Hammer smiled widely at that, in an unsettling way that made Steve want to look away, “So thoughtful, Captain. You sure are just the man I need for this job, ah, how perfect,” the king’s grin turned malicious, even more unsettling, as he started to reach for Steve’s face, “much like yourself. The stories do sing praises towards your appearance, Captain, but I did not expect them to be  _ this  _ veracious. I was wondering, wouldn’t you like to accompany me to my quarters once we are done planning? I have quite an expressive amount of riches, and I can make you a very… very wealthy man.” The grin widened even more, turning almost manic as his hand hovered right in front of Steve’s face, “And maybe a satisfied one, as well?”

The warning growl was louder this time, and the golden wolf didn’t hesitate to bare its fangs and snap at the king, making the man recede his hand and release an affronted noise as he scowled towards the snarling wolf, “What the- Control this beast of yours! It almost bit my hand off!”

Steve calmly caressed the side of his wolf’s neck once more, easily turning the angry creature into a submissive puppy that happily sought the man’s palm with its muzzle in a way to reinforce it wanted more cuddling. The corners of Steve’s lips quirked upwards.  _ Good boy.  _ “I’ve told you, your highness, overly protective.” He calmly pointed out, causing Hammer’s expression to turn even more petulant and tempestuous, “And as much as… flattering… as your proposition is, I’m afraid I’ll have to refuse it. I have a strict policy of not involving myself with potential customers.”

“Ah, yes, heard of that as well,” Hammer grumbled, almost hissing his displeasure through his teeth, “a man of valuable principles, aren’t you, Captain?”

“I suppose I am. I do have a reputation to maintain.” Steve smiled brightly, earning a displeased grumble from the petulant king, “Now, what do I owe the pleasure of this summoning?”

“Straight to business it is then, a shame,” Hammer sighed, eyeing Steve from head to toe in a lecherous way that had Bucky shifting uncomfortably by his side. Hammer was one  _ hell  _ of a nonsensical man, that much was clear, “Very well then. I called upon you and your men so you may deal with a threat that has been looming over my kingdom and many others for a few days now.” King Hammer said as he wandered back to his throne, taking a seat and beckoning Steve and his second in command closer, “Other kings have already tried to go against it, but ended up with nothing but failure and lots and lots of casualties,” Hammer tsked in disappointment, “so I had no other choice but to summon you, Captain Steven.”

Steve frowned thoughtfully at that. He had rumors of some commotion happening in the east, but he didn’t think it was  _ that bad.  _ He looked at Bucky for a moment, but the man only shrugged in response. He had no idea either.

He moved his eyes back to the king and decided to ask, “What kind of threat, exactly?”

“My, I’m fairly surprised you haven’t heard of it, Captain. There’s nothing much else people are talking nowadays.”

“My team and I have been quite busy as of late. The kingdoms in the north happen to be going through some rough times, so we have been offering aid for the past months. We’ve just recently returned to these parts.” Steve easily explained, earning a thoughtful hum from the king.

“And no other king has reached you on the matter since your arrival?”

“Not really, no. You are the first.”

Hammer’s unsettling smile was back, and Steve had to fight off the urge to just openly scowl at how  _ pleased  _ the man looked upon the idea of having been the first to contact them. “What a thing! Not that I’m surprised, really, of course none of those fools from neighbouring kingdoms would even attempt anything against those two. As far as your reputation is concerned, Captain, I suppose they think not even you are able to go against this specific threat.”

_ Now  _ Steve was scowling. “Guess we’ll have to see about that.”

“That’s the spirit!” Hammer cheered, “Have you heard of the Stark Clan?”

“The Starks?” Steve’s turbulent expression softened, “Yeah, of course I have, they are one of the most prestigious and advanced clans of Alchemy in history,” Hammer made a face at Steve’s praise, but he proceeded unperturbed, “Everyone knows about them.”

“Everyone  _ knew  _ about them, Captain,” Hammer sneered, causing Steve’s expression to twist in confusion, “the Stark clan has ceased to exist over a month ago.”

Steve’s eyes almost jumped out of its orbits at the same time Bucky snarled a, “ _ What?! _ ”

“Yes. While you and your group were at the North helping the oh poor suffering bastards of those lands,” Hammer pointed out, voice dripping disdain and earning pointed looks from both soldiers, “Obadiah Stane, one of Howard Stark’s most trusted friends, sided with Tiberius Stone so they could overthrow the Starks. The betrayal was unexpected, so Stane and Stone had the upper hand and successfully eradicated the entire clan in a span of a single day.” Hammer took a sip of the wine that had been poured as he delivered the news, shocking Steve and Bucky into a stunned silence as he continued with nonchalance, “A rather tragic end, don’t you think?”

Steve’s heart was hammering against his ribcage. Howard and Maria were _dead_? That was unthinkable. Just about two months ago he had answered to one of Howard’s calls, most for them to meet and pass the time since Steve was always so busy these days. The alchemist was a good man, and did his best to use his knowledge in order to help others, as did Maria - his wife. They were incredibly wealthy and well known due their family’s successful history involving alchemy, and the Stark patriarch would always call upon Steve and his pack so he could attain some specific ingredients for a mixture or just keep the manor safe as Howard and Stane ventured off in search of more knowledge. Steve scowled. _Stane. _He had seen the guy just a handful of times, but he didn’t remember ever liking the aura about that man. He always had this mischievous smile plastered on his face whenever Steve was around that was just… all kinds of wrong. Not as invasive and unsettling as Hammer’s, but still very uncomfortable. It was almost as if he was assessing Steve, trying to figure him out, to find nooks and crannies where Steve’s most deep secrets were hidden. It was, for the lack of a better word, _fucking creepy_, but Steve never paid much mind to it. Howard trusted the guy, so Steve should as well, right?

_ Wrong. _

Steve’s expression had gone from shocked to stone cold, and he couldn’t do much to prevent it. Not when he knew close friends had been victims of such revolting betrayal, and right when he wasn’t around to come to their aid. He still remembered Maria’s warm smiles and kind gestures, always trying to leave him and the guys comfortable whenever they were around, conceding space to their wolves so they wouldn’t need to spend the night outside in the cold… and didn’t they have a son? Steve had never seen the one who Maria so fondly addressed as ‘Tony’, but she always talked about him, which got Steve curious enough to ask about him one day. Maria’s little chuckle and answer were unforgettable, “ _ Ah, Captain, you’d have a field day with my darling boy. He’s a small thing, but his tongue may be sharper than your shield, and his wits are unparalleled. I’ll let you know whenever he is around, so you may have some time to prepare yourself. _ ” She had chuckled again, “ _ You’ll certainly need it.” _

Her words had befuddled Steve, and he found himself wanting to meet the inquisitive young Stark heir with a silver tongue in his next visit, but now he would never have a chance. Howard and Maria were gone, and by consequence, so was their son.

His wolf whined by his side, apparently sensing the rage and grief coming out from him in waves. Bucky touched his shoulder but said nothing, and Steve was thankful for the gesture. He certainly needed to be grounded right now. “Why?” He croaked out, biting away the tears that pooled by the corners of his eyes. “Why Stane did that? I thought he was their friend.”

“Ah, so the rumors about the great Captain having bonded with the Starks were also true, huh?” Hammer shot him a sardonic smile, voice dripping sarcasm, “My  _ deepest _ condolences.”

Steve felt rage surge from within, and really it took  _ all  _ of his self-control for him not to snap at the man’s crude behavior. Hammers and Starks did not mix, and it has been like this since the dawn of times, so it wasn’t surprising there wasn’t any actual lost sympathy from the guy regarding his rival clan’s demise, but Steve was already rather upset with how neglectful and disrespectful the king was, so hearing him also be dismissive about the death of his friends? Yeah. Justin Hammer was being a hard rock to swallow.

“Thank you, your highness, but you have not answered me,” Steve bit out, rather impatiently and successfully erasing that infuriating smile from the man’s face, “Why did Stane do it? What he had to gain with this? Because if I remember well, he wasn’t that bad off in matters of wealth.”

“Not that bad, but still not as filthy rich as the Starks were, Captain. Don’t be naive,” Hammer twirled the golden goblet between his fingers lazily, the carmesin liquid within sloshing from one side to another, “Wealth, coins, gold, gems… these are the things that move men, but also bring out their worst. Stane might have been fairly rich himself, but he was also a glutton for power, and once he saw a chance to attain both in one fell swoop, he took the leap. Everlasting friendships be damned.”

Steve narrowed his eyes, “What do you mean?”

“The Starks discovered something, something  _ many  _ alchemists have been pursuing for centuries, but failed to achieve,” the king explained, expression growing bitter at each word, “my family, for one, never got even close to it, no matter how hard we studied or sought for it. Ridiculous, really, to think those arrogant fools could ever manage to-” Steve’s glare turned even colder, and the king quickly fumbled with his words, trying to get back on track, “Er- I mean, anyways, they achieved it, and Stane decided to take over in order to control it.”

“What did they discover?” Bucky asked, when Steve gave no sign he would.

“That, Mr. Barnes,” Hammer downed the rest of the wine and set it down the armrest with a loud  _ thunk,  _ “would be the Philosopher’s Stone.”

Steve’s eyes widened once more, as did Bucky’s, and both of them inquired at once, “ _ What _ ?!”

“Believe me, we were skeptical as well when Stane came at us all, demanding us to kneel before him lest we wanted to suffer the consequences,” King Hammer laughed bitterly, “That bald bastard, can you believe his nerve? Barged in during our great gathering of kings, demanding an audience and announcing his self-proclaimed status as King of Kings. An absurd, we laughed about it, told him to go find someone else to loon on with…” Hammer was moving his goblet once more, refilled with wine by a shackled servant standing nearby, “the bastard then ushered someone in, some figure hidden behind a big black cloak, and the next thing I know… half of the Kings sitting on the table were either turned into golden statues or started to choke on their own blood and suffocated to death.”

Steve’s eyes were wide as saucers, “What on earth?”

“Beats me, Captain, since cloaky-fella didn’t even move before my buddies all started to drown in their own fluids,” Hammer clicked his tongue in a clear show of annoyance, “but I do not forget. From behind the cloak, glowing from under the fabric, was this bright red hue that just seemed to be…  _ alive,  _ you know? Then he orders us to rethink our choices, since now he had the legendary Philosopher’s Stone and the Alchemist in charge of it under his thumb, so we better behave ourselves if we don’t want to share fates similar to the others.” Hammer laughed this time, a raucous, manic laughter, that hurt the men’s hearing and made the wolves whine, “The  _ nerve  _ on that piece of shit!”

“So that’s why you summoned us?” Bucky demanded hotly, partially just wanting the crazy king to stop laughing, “To fight off Stane and the power of a fucking  _ Philosopher’s Stone _ ?”

Hammer brightened at that, “So you finally get it!”

_ “ _ That’s  _ ridiculous _ ! There’s no way we are a match for that!” Bucky snapped, successfully erasing Hammer’s smile from his face, “The Philosopher’s Stone was supposed to be a  _ myth _ , something that people should  _ not  _ try to mess with, and I’m pretty sure whoever is this alchemist in charge of it, the dude paid a hefty price for messing with stuff he shouldn’t, but if he can use the stone to an extent he can kill people without even touching them, then you are out of luck. There’s nothing we can do to help you.”

“Well, that’s a bummer,” Hammer pouted, “I thought the Howling Commandos were unparalleled forces of nature led by a man that rivaled the power of the gods? You’d think someone like that would be able to stand his ground against the power of a miserable little magic pebble,” he taunted, ignoring Bucky’s blistering look and staring straight into Steve’s frigid stare, “wouldn’t you agree, Captain Rogers?”

“Steve,  _ no _ ,” Bucky’s hand was on Steve’s shoulder again, gripping at it, “don’t fall for that. We can’t go against this.” Steve looked at him, and the look on his face was enough to make his companion groan and rub a hand against his face. “Fucking hell, Stevie.”

“I have to, Buck.”

“You ain’t gotta do  _ shit _ , you stubborn headed asshole.” His friend snarled in exasperation, “I know you are hurting, that they were your friends, but this is way too much Steve, even  _ for you. _ ”

“I wasn’t here for them,” Steve ground our stubbornly, earning a frustrated huff from Bucky, “I wasn’t here, and they were killed. I  _ have  _ to do this, at least so they may rest in peace.”

“God, Steve! The fate of the whole world doesn’t rest on your shoulders!”

“Maybe not of the world, but my  _ friends  _ are a different story,” Steve bit back, turning back to the grinning king, who seemed far too interested in their heated exchange, “and you should know that better than anyone else.”

It was a low blow and Steve knew it, but he couldn’t back down from this. Not  _ this.  _ Bucky opened his mouth, only to close it after a second, using his metallic hand to rub his face once more as he muttered something about ‘ _ fucking self-sacrificing stupid punks’. _

_ “ _ What exactly is it that you need done, your majesty?” Steve asked in a tone that resembled a low growl, which seemed to spark great interest on the king judging by the lascivious smirk that appeared on his thin lips.

“Get rid of that stupid alliance of backstabbing alchemists, and secure the Philosopher’s Stone. It must be brought to the council of kings so we may decide which will be its fate.”

Steve frowned at that, “And does your highness have any idea what fate that may be?”

“Of course not, dummy, that’s what we’ll decide!” Hammer pointed out, giggling in a way that irritated the blonde’s ears, “But you must bring it to me. It was bestowed upon me the responsibility of looking after the stone until the remaining Kings and the council arrives for the decision to be made, so be sure to bring it here once your mission is concluded. At the end, we’ll pay you and your merry crew of lost pups a very generous amount of wealth, but you’ll only have it once the stone is secure with me, are we clear?”

Steve nodded curtly, “Crystal.” Was his answer, which seemed to throw off the king somewhat due the ice in his voice, “Any further information regarding Stane and Stone?”

Blinking away his surprise, Hammer answered, “Uh, yes. They are currently stationed in the Stark Clan’s domains. Apparently he took their property as his own, and Tiberius moved in not long after the overthrow, so they are in there together, as is the stone and its handler.”

“I see. Now, your highness, if you’ll excuse us, we have a mission to plan,” Steve briefly bowed, turning around without waiting to be dismissed and displaying the large ornamented disk attached to his back that the king had somehow failed to notice before, “Dodger, heel.”

The golden wolf, who was glaring menacingly at the king, huffed and trotted after his companion, soon to be followed by a grouchy Bucky and his own wolf.

King Hammer watched them leave his castle escorted by the royal guards, and felt himself frown. He had imagined this meeting ending  _ very  _ differently - preferentially on his bed, given the handsome Captain lived up to all expectations and more -, but something kept him from pushing the man over the edge. Steven Grant Rogers had indeed a pristine reputation that he apparently fought valiantly to upkeep, but there was this aura to the man that absurdly set all kinds of red flags towards Hammer’s attempts of trying to mess too much around the guy. Something dangerous, lurking deep behind those deep blue eyes and beneath all that captivating aura. Something that practically  _ growled _ a warning to those who ever even considered crossing him or his peers wrong, and that thought made an unpleasant shiver run down the king’s spine as he took another sip of his wine.

He just hoped the valiant Captain wouldn’t catch a whiff of his own plans, because he sure didn’t want to be at the receiving end of the unforgiving storm currently heading towards Stane.


	2. PART I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya, back with another one. I hope y'all like it! I'm trying some real different stuffs with this story, and stepping through waters I have never before, so oof, hello insecurity!!!
> 
> Also, be warned, Tiberius and Obadiah are disgusting human beings, so they will speak as disgusting human beings. They might discuss the possibility of abuse, but it's very light and just hinted... but trust me, there ain't having none of that in this story, because I ain't a fan of that. Thx.
> 
> Anyways, enjoy, and remember to let me know your thoughts about it! Unbetaed, so ignore mistakes ngnngn

“So, has the little thing come out of his shell yet?”

Obadiah clenched his jaw, raising his eyes from the paper he had been reading as Tiberius sauntered inside his office as if he owned it. He huffed and glared at his business partner, “What have I told you about entering my personal office without knocking?” Obadiah snarled, being completely ignored by Tiberius as he plopped down one of the velvet carmesin chairs situated in front of the mahogany desk.

“Come now, Stane. You are only behind that desk because I helped put you there, so this house is as much mine as it is yours, therefore, I may come and go anywhere as I damn please.” Tiberius arrogantly pointed out, earning an eye roll from the older man. “But you haven’t answered me. How is delightful Anthony fairing today?”

“The same as yesterday, or do you honestly think he’d suddenly forgive and warm up to the men who anihilated his entire clan?” Obadiah questioned with an arched brow, earning a pout from Tiberius.

“That’s such a shame! I was hoping to get to know him before I take what is rightfully mine!” He whined, pouring himself a glass of scotch from the bottle sitting on top of the desk and taking a sip, smiling widely as he did, “Ah, now that’s the good stuff.”

“If Tony doesn’t willingly accept you, good luck with forcing yourself on him,” Obadiah nonchalantly said, turning his uninterested gaze towards the papers he had been reading, “that boy is currently the most powerful being on the realm, so I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

Tiberius’ eyes hardened, “You made me a promise, Obadiah. I help you to get rid of the Starks, and you give me their heir. I’ve held my part of the deal, so I hope you are not getting cold feet and suddenly wanting to protect him as his ‘dear uncle Obie’ should have.”

Obadiah scoffed at that, “None of that, you fool. I couldn’t care less about what happens with the boy, I’m only warning your arrogant ass of the consequences. Tony is stubborn as a goddamned mule, so if you want him to cooperate with your demands without him going berserk and killing us all, you’ll need a little incentive.”

“Incentive?” One of Tiberius’ eyebrows shot upwards, “Which incentive could possibly work against him? We literally killed his entire family!”

Obadiah shot another unimpressed look towards his partner, “Being this daft, it doesn’t surprise me your father didn’t want you anywhere near his throne.” Tiberius’ nostrils flared at the insult and he opened his mouth to argue, but Obadiah proceeded, unbothered, “I obviously have leverage against the boy, or you honestly thought he has been listening to me and staying put because he still has a place in his heart for his ‘backstabbing asshole of an uncle’, as he so smartly called me earlier?”

“Oh,” Tiberius’ anger dissipated, giving place to annoyance as he clicked his tongue, “That makes sense. But what kind of leverage?”

“The Stark’s butler.”

“A _ butler _?” Tiberius sneered, sounding disgusted, “How can a mere servant be useful as leverage against a rich spoiled brat?”

“Good ol’ Jarvis has cared and looked after Tony ever since he was a baby. The boy sees him as some kind of surrogate father, since his presence made up for Howard’s absence and own failures,” Obadiah explained, getting up from his chair and walking towards the grand window situated behind his desk. _ Howard truly had the best view in this office, the damn hoarder. _ ”Therefore, seeing how Tony cares greatly about that old man - and seemed more devastated about the prospect of his death than of his own father’s -, I decided to spare him and use him to keep my darling nephew obedient. As long as he obeys me and stays put, Jarvis lives.” He turned to Tiberius, “If he disobeys, the butler dies, and I’ll be sure to make him watch it.”

Tiberius cackled, “Now that’s just rotten, Obie!” He pointed out, taking a swing of his scotch and loudly setting the glass down on the table, “I love it!”

Obadiah rolled his eyes and walked towards the scotch bottle sitting on his desk and poured himself a glass, “Figured you’d be amused by that. Regardless, feel free to use the Jarvis card with Tony. I’m sure he’ll do anything you ask of him that way.”

“That settles it then!” Tiberius jumped to his feet, turning to leave, but stopping at the last second to turn back to Obadiah with a frown, “One thing, though, why only tell me about this now? I have been asking for you to help me with Anthony for _ weeks _now.”

“I was expecting you to have charmed the boy to our side by now, but since you failed to do that, I thought It was time to give you a little push.” Obadiah took a sip of his drink, ignoring the other man’s unhappy frown at being called an incompetent, _ again, _ “We are running out of time.”

That sobered Tiberius up, “Wait, what? What do you mean?”

“Rogers has returned from his trip to the North, and it has come to my knowledge that he has already learned of the Stark Clan’s demise.”

“_Ro__gers _ ?” Tiberius spat the name in disgust, “The leader of the flea bags?!” Obadiah nodded, and Tiberius scoffed, “Oh _please_, don’t tell me you are scared of him? We have the power of the Philosopher’s Stone in our hands! There’s nothing that overly big imbecile and his filthy mutts can do against us!”

“Don’t fall prey to the illusion of safety, Tiberius. I take you have never actually met the man in person?”

“No, I haven’t, much for his damn luck!” Tiberius crossed his arms against his chest and jutted out his chin petulantly, “I’d have decked the asshole on sight otherwise.”

It was Obadiah’s turn to laugh in amusement, “Sorry to break it to you, my friend, but Captain Rogers is probably _ the only person _we should be concerned about at the moment. He is a dangerous man, and his allegiance to Howard and Maria was the reason why I took so long to set this plan in motion, or do you think I had the Northern Kingdoms attacked for no reason?”

Realization seemed to struck Tiberius, and his eyes narrowed, “You set Rogers up so he wouldn’t be around during the attack to help?”

“Obviously. What do you take me for, a fool such as yourself?” Obadiah sneered, earning an affronted snarl from the younger man, “Steve Rogers is no common man. In fact, he might not even be _ only _a man, or have you not heard about his feats?”

Tiberius’ scowl only intensified, “I have, but I found them ridiculous. They sounded like exaggerations, attempts to make the man sound mightier than he actually is.”

“I wish that was the case, but I have seen with my own eyes what that man is capable of.” Obadiah took another swing of his drink, his eyes seeming haunted as he proceeded, “His group may be large and vicious, but he makes it clear that they are mostly by his side out of option instead of actual support. Once I actually witnessed him going against an entire army of bandits that attempted to ambush us during a trip that Howard had him tagging along for protection. I had questioned him how only one man would be enough help in case we needed, but Howard assured me I would understand in case something actually happened,” Obadiah watched Tiberius’ eyes widening, “and understand, I did, since Rogers actually faced over thirty heavily armed men and came out as the winner, with nothing but a scratch on his cheek and somewhat rumpled clothes.”

“What?!” Tiberius yelped, clearly horrified, “How in the _ hell _is that possible?!”

Obadiah shrugged, “I have no idea. There’s something strange about him that I never managed to figure out, but he clearly is no common man. _ Something _ happened to turn him into the being he currently is, which makes his attention on us greatly concerning… Not to mention he seemed interested on Tony before he left to the North.”

“_What?!” _ Tiberius bellowed once more, this time, more affronted than terrified, “That’s preposterous! He is getting _ nowhere _ near _ my _Anthony!”

“Will you just stand the fuck down and listen instead of keep interrupting me?!” Obadiah ground out, his patience wearing thin, “He _ shouldn’t _ be able to come anywhere near Tony, which is exactly my point. He probably thinks Tony has died along with Howard and Maria, and we must keep it that way, because it’s already bad enough he is coming for our heads to avenge the Starks, and I have absolutely no doubt he would do _ everything _ in his power to rescue Tony if he figured out he’s still alive, and as I just explained to you… said power is _ greatly _ concerning.”

“But we have the Philosopher’s Stone!”

“For the love of the great lord, do you lack a fucking brain?!” Obadiah snapped rather loudly, stunning the other man into silence, “I _ just _ explained to you that Rogers must _ not _ find out that Tony still lives, and the last time I checked, we don’t have access to the damn stone without Tony, so we _ cannot _try to use Tony against him, lest we want him to figure out the truth!”

“But that’s stupid! Even if he figures out about Anthony and wants to rescue him, he won’t be able if we use Anthony and the stone against him! Didn’t you just tell me you have leverage against him, so he will answer to us no matter what? Well, let’s use that!”

Obadiah set down his glass, now empty, and pinched the bridge of his nose, “That would work wonderfully if Tony actually had full control over the stone, Tiberius, which he _ doesn’t. _ The boy is terribly unstable, so at the moment, he’s a double edged sword. He might both cause damage to Rogers _ and _to us, so I cannot risk it, not to mention I’m pretty sure Rogers’ interest was part of some plan Maria had in mind.”

Tiberius arched a brow, “What do you mean?”

“Of all of Howard’s friends, she liked me the less. The woman was polite and helpful as they come, but she always made clear she didn’t trust me much, so she must have had her suspicions regarding my plans, which is why she was all too glad to bring Rogers and his people into her home. Then, one day, she began to speak of Tony to the captain, even though Tony was a forbidden subject to _ anyone. _ Maria was overly protective of that boy, so don’t you find strange that she willingly accepted a foreign man of unknown power into Howard’s life and suddenly started to tell him about her treasured son?”

Tiberius’ eyes narrowed, “That does sound suspicious…”

“Because it was!” Obadiah slammed a fist against the table, causing all of the objects on top of it to either jump or tremble, “She was onto me, that damn bitch, so she was certain to provide Howard and Tony their own loyal hound for protection! And this is why I had to act fast, lest I wanted my plans to be foiled before they could even begin.” He shook his head, trying to calm down his hammering heart.

Tiberius clicked his tongue, “I don’t think I have ever seen you this agitated, Stane.”

“Steve Rogers is a scary man, Tiberius, but he can get even worse when he is set on protecting someone, so no… we cannot try to use Tony and the stone against him right now and risk him figuring out the boy is still alive.” Obadiah released a shuddering breath, pouring himself some more of the scotch, “We must take advantage of his current state. Anger and grief will cloud his better judgement, so I’m pretty sure he is not thinking as clearly as he normally would, which means we might have a chance of escaping, but I have no doubt his focus will return to him once he finds out Tony is alive and in need of his protection.”

“So… that’s why we’re hurrying up?” Tiberius pursed his lips in dismay, “Because the Captain will regain his control if he catches a whiff of Anthony?”

“We are hurrying up because we need the power of the stone on its apex if we want to have _ any _ chance against that troglodyte!” Obadiah hissed, causing Tiberius to flinch. “We might need to run now, but we won’t be able to keep Tony from his knowledge for much longer, which means that sooner than later we _ will _ need to face against him, so we will need all the power we can get,” he took a large swing of his drink, “so you _ better _get Tony to cooperate with you and do whatever you need to make that happen. See that it’s done by the end of the night, because we are leaving at first light. We need to put some distance between us and the Captain’s man-eating wolves if we want to have any chance to keep what we acquired.”

Tiberius shuddered, “Man-eating wolves…?”

“What? Don’t tell me you thought those were fabricated tales as well?” Obadiah humorlessly chuckled, causing Tiberius to dry swallow, “Well, those things are not called ‘Dire Wolves’ for nothing, and they also have other less than friendly animals tagging along, so I’d get on with it if I were you. We need to leave as soon as possible.”

Tiberius only nodded brusquely, turning around and hurrying out of the office. Obadiah’s smirk immediately disappeared, and his expression grew both anxious and annoyed as he looked down at the letter sitting on the table - the one he had been reading when Tiberius invited himself in. In it, a brief message written in messy handwriting read an ominous warning.

“**_The commandos were summoned by Hammer, so if I were you, I’d run as fast as my legs could carry me, because if my contacts are correct… Steve Rogers has never looked more terrifying._ **

_ **\- RS**” _

He smashed the letter between his fingers and growled quietly. That damn weasel of a king had just set the hounds loose after him, the bastard. Tiberius better get through with his part of the deal and get Tony ready for the next part of the plan, because they say nobody has ever managed to escape the Captain and his vicious companions before, but well, Obadiah was nothing if not tenacious, and after coming this far, he was decided to be the first man to achieve the impossible feat of escaping the Howling Commandos’ deadly claws.

─ ☽⍟☾ ─

“Stevie… are you sure about this?”

Steve raised his head to meet Bucky’s frown across the table where the map they were currently studying sat, and felt a frown of his own crease his forehead, “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You are clearly not in your right mind, man. You haven’t said a thing ever since we left King Hammer’s kingdom, and you have this look that is honestly fuckin’ terrifying to look at.”

Steve stared at his friend for a moment, taking his words in consideration and processing what they meant, but then moved his eyes back to the map, “They are dead, Bucky, and all because I was a fool to fall for a distraction, so forgive me for not being in a good mood.”

Bucky released a sigh, “That’s not what I meant. You are allowed to grieve Stevie, but it wasn’t exactly your fault. The bastard actually had the Northern kingdoms attacked and left in a dire condition, they would have been wiped out of the map if we hadn’t gone there.”

“Maria asked me not to,” Steve ground out, his tone shaky, “She warned me something didn’t feel right about this, that she had a bad feeling. I thought it was something about our safety, so of course I did nothing but assure her we would be fine, because of _ damn _ course _ we _ would be fine, but them?” He rose his look to meet Bucky’s, and his second in command almost flinched at the amount of pain and anguish currently residing inside Steve’s azure eyes, “I was supposed to keep them safe, Bucky. I ignored my damn instincts, and now they are _ dead. _ My _ friends _ are _ dead._”

Bucky clenched his jaw, “And we _ will _avenge them, Steve, but you need to understand you are far too compromised. Maybe you should step down for a moment and I should—”

“I am _ not _ stepping down!” Steve hit his fist against the table with force enough for the makeshift furniture to crack, causing Bucky to close his eyes and sigh in resignation, “I’m not stopping until every single one of them is either dead or captured, and that serves for Hydra as well. If their attack on the Northern kingdoms were orchestrated by Stane, then _ all _of them are going to pay.”

“God dammit, Steve, are you even listening to yourself? You sound completely out of your mind! I sure hell am all on board with splitting skulls and letting our animals feast of what is left, but that’s _ me, _not you! If you lose yourself like this, you’ll never forgive yourself!”

Steve scoffed, rounding the table and heading towards the hut’s exit, “Maybe not, but it doesn’t matter.”

Bucky followed right behind him as they exited and started to walk through their camping site, earning the attention of the other members of their pack as they walked by, “The _ hell _it doesn’t matter, you stubborn ass! You say that now, but as soon as you’re done you’ll be destroyed, and you know it!”

“Back off Bucky, do you really think I give a fucking damn about my feelings right now?!” He turned around to face off with his second in command, while gesturing wildly, “Howard and Maria are gone, _ all _the Starks are, and they were the most brilliant minds in all the realms, which means this loss was not only ours! Don’t you get it? They were ahead in the studies of medicine and everything else that might help our people evolve and acquire better living in future years, or even to win future battles! No other clan ever compared to them on the matter of knowledge and power, so tell me how exactly am I supposed to be calm about this?!”

“I’m not telling you to be calm about anything, dammit! I’m only telling you to back the fuck down for a moment and let me plan this out, because if you honestly think that going head on against a fucking _ Philosopher’s Stone _without considering the consequences, then you definitely are not fucking fit to lead this damn team anywhere!”

Steve scoffed, “Then don’t follow me. I’ll go by myself.”

“Are you fucking insane, you idiot?!” Bucky yelped, earning even more attention from their pack members, who were growing more and more restless at each word, “That’s suicide, even for you! You might be far stronger a d durable than any of us, but you sure as fuck is not invincible, and you know that!”

“Don’t worry, I’m not going down until I make those two pay for what they’ve done.”

Bucky ran a hand through his hair in frustration, “You damn fucking-”

“Not that I want to interrupt our mighty leaders’ from biting each other’s heads off, but already interrupting,” Sam’s voice cut in, getting two pairs of fiery blue eyes to glare daggers at him and cause him to raise his hands in surrender, “No need to take a bite of mine as well, I just wanted to relay some important info I got ahold of.”

“Info?” Steve frowned, “About what?”

“Stane and Stone.”

That immediately caused Steve to tense up, while Bucky raised a brow at his husband, “This really is not the best time for this, feathers.”

“Yeah, I gathered that much babe, but given Cap here seems very eager to go after our current targets, I figured he should know that Stane knows we are after him and is planning to escape.”

“What?!” Steve snarled, while Bucky’s eyes widened, “When?!”

“Tomorrow,” Sam pursed his lips, “They are leaving at first light.”

Steve heard Bucky curse under his breath, but he couldn’t focus on anything else. Without hesitation, he turned to his pack - soldiers and wolves - and yelled, “Everyone, gather your things and break down camp. We are leaving immediately!”

A chorus of confused and startled voices sounded around them, but everyone got to their feet to do as they were told while Steve turned back to Sam, “Go get all your birds in the air. I need eyes everywhere.” He commanded, earning a curt nod from Sam before he rushed out. Steve then proceeded to run towards Dodger, who was already running towards him and lowering himself so Steve could mount on his back. “Bucky, what are you looking at? Call Phantom and Alpine already!”

“Steve, are we seriously rushing into battle like this?!” Bucky bellowed in concern as he watched Steve jump on Dodger’s back, “We don’t even have a plan of attack yet!”

“No we don’t, and I know this is stupid, but I can’t afford to let Stane escape.” Steve argued frantically, earning yet another annoyed huff from his friend, “Come on Bucky, help me out here. I know you are just as angry as I am, they were your friends just as much as they were mine.”

“Oh, I’m fucking angry alright,” Bucky huffed, whistling and having Phantom to appear by his side in a second, with an albine saber-tooth trailing right behind. He mounted in a swift movement, herding his wolf to follow Steve’s, “and I’ll follow you to death’s fucking jaws, you damn punk, I just had to try and shove some sense into your thick skull like the good friend I am.”

“Yeah, thanks for trying,” Steve smiled softly, “jerk.”

Bucky shook his head, but smiled regardless, “Til’ the end of the line, pal.”

“That’s right.”

“If you boys are done kissing each other’s asses, we are ready to leave,” Sharon appeared on Steve’s side on top of her mount, a pearly white wolf with bright green eyes and a caramel muzzle, and gestured with her head towards the assembled team, “with enough incentive, the wolves can get to the Stark Clan lands way before sunrise.”

“Good.” Steve nodded, turning to his pack as they looked at him with mixed looks of determination and expectation, “I know all of this is far too sudden, and I would be an even worse leader if I didn’t warn you this is a dangerous battle that we are going into without any planning whatsoever, so I won’t hold against any of you if you want to stay back.”

A chorus of ‘No!’ and ‘We’ll follow anywhere, Captain!’ were the answers he got, and Steve couldn’t help but smile widely in response. It never ceased to amaze him how loyal the Commandos were. Most days he didn’t feel like he deserved such loyalty, mainly now that he was practically leading them into death’s jaws, but there was no doubt he was more than grateful to have them, and he would do his best to keep them safe through this madness.

“Very well,” he turned towards the horizon, already knowing the path in which they should take in order to reach the Stark lands like the back of his hand, and without preamble, shouted the final order, “Let’s go!”

Dodger howled and departed, prompting the rest of the pack to follow after him. The ground beneath their powerful paws shook violently as the great pack thundered through the fields, with the countless birds of prey that belonged Sam flying like bullets above their heads and Bucky’s saber effortlessly keeping up with them. From anyone looking from outside, their assembly was nothing short of terrifying, but Steve couldn’t care less about appearances at the moment. On usual days, he would be concerned if their group looked scary for bystanders and would cause unnecessary ruckus, but right now, the only thing he cared about was arriving in time to keep Stane and Stone from escaping and avenging his friends. If he died trying, well… then he would just be getting what he deserved for having failed Howard and Maria in the first place, but he was _ definitely _not going down before the culprits for their deaths paid for their treachery.

He wasn’t called Captain of Realms for nothing, and he would be sure to remind those two exactly why he earned that title.


End file.
